


Keys, Carols and Thieves

by jisoomes



Series: Hayffie Christmas 2020 [6]
Category: Hunger Games Series - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Except when he's stealing a Christmas tree xD, F/M, Haymitch is very cute in most of these :)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-23
Updated: 2020-12-23
Packaged: 2021-03-10 17:33:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,120
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28260954
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jisoomes/pseuds/jisoomes
Summary: Various Christmas Prompts
Relationships: Haymitch Abernathy/Effie Trinket
Series: Hayffie Christmas 2020 [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2063949
Comments: 4
Kudos: 15
Collections: Hayffie Christmas Stories





	Keys, Carols and Thieves

**1: I’m buying a present for my mother and every time I reach for something, you clear your throat and shake your head disapprovingly, who do you think you are? Effie studied the shelves of glittery ornaments again with dread.**

There was nothing here that Estelle Trinket would like and that was going to be a problem. She should’ve known better - after all, she had never been a last-minute gift person. And her mother was notoriously picky.

Why had she thought that there’d be a chance to find something in store? Naively, she had hoped there would be a pillowcase, a pamper set, something that wasn’t cheap or something she’d already have…

Now, she had relegated herself to the decoration isle, thinking she could at the very least find something obnoxious enough to please her. But she was having no such luck. Effie picked up the pink glitter reindeer head again and debated it.

Behind her, a man scoffed.

She turned around quickly, only to find him looking at the lights on the other side of the aisle.

Don’t be silly, she told herself. He wasn’t scoffing at _you_.

Still, she put the reindeer back, moved onto an angel ornament. Had her mother told her the theme was white and gold this year? She couldn’t quite remember.

The man cleared his throat again, this time more purposely. Effie glanced back again, certain he would get caught out. But no, he still had his eyes trained on the fairy lights.

She lingered her gaze though, silently warning him not to try again. She didn’t know what his problem was but... Nobody wearing a bulky black jacket and shapeless jeans was going to judge _her_ taste in decorations.

Placing the angel back on the shelf, she bit her lip and looked at a key decoration instead. It was gold and sparkly and looked expensive enough. With some ribbon and the gold pyjamas she had spotted in the clothes section, it could be a cute gift.

There was a definite ahem behind her and this time, she looked back to find him shaking his head at her.

She glared daggers at the scruffy man. “Got a cough?”

“Tell me you’re not buying that shit,” the man chuckled.

Her eyes studied the key with a frown. “There is nothing wrong with my selection.”

The man turned to face her properly, moving out of the way to the few people making their way down the aisles. She appreciated the better angle. For all her complaints about his outfit, his face was thankfully much more appealing.

Well... if he shaved she suspected he would be quite handsome. If he took better care of his hair. She wasn’t picky about length but it was a little dry and in dire need of conditioner…

He, she noticed, didn’t seem offended by her staring. He did his own once-over of her. And sure, he hadn’t lingered but she knew he liked what he saw. Some signs couldn’t be ignored.

His grey eyes were dark and full of mirth when he spoke next. “Sweetheart, it looks like a cock.”

She gasped, the key falling out of her hands without her even realising. Causing the man to throw his head back slightly and laugh when she bent to pick it up. Desire thrummed low in her belly at the sound.

What on earth was going on with her?

“It does _not!_ ” she squealed. Yet, she couldn’t look at it quite the same anymore so she shoved it back on the shelf. “Mind your own gift-giving.”

That only made him laugh harder. “Oh, princess. Now I’ve got a duty to stop you gifting a gold knob to some poor soul…”

“Oh yes?” She said. “Well, if you’re so good at judging gifts, why don’t _you_ pick out what my mother will open on Christmas day?”

Somehow, she sensed he wasn’t one to back down from a challenge.

She was right, the man shifted his weight onto the other one and studied the shelf.

“These are all crap,” he concluded, turning back to his side of the aisle. “Here,” he said, picking up something from the bottom shelf. Get her some of these.”

He handed her a led box. At further inspection, she realised it was a present. She hesitated, torn because this was a ridiculous gift her mother might like and she wanted to prove the stranger wrong…

“Come on, sweetheart,” he said. “It’s that or the dick, your mom will thank you.”

She snorted. “She very much will not.”

Estelle would still make an issue, the colour would be wrong or the size would be an issue. Still, Effie would bet she’d find them in the decorated house next year so…

“Are there other sizes?”

The stranger moved out of her way to reveal several different sizes. She filled her basket with a variety, two of each size would do her mom perfectly. There would be no complaining about symmetry, at the very least.

“Thank you,” she said. She didn’t realise she was smiling until the man smirked back with a wink.

“Right, well now I need your help,” he announced very seriously. “I’ve got two teenage girls this year and I have no fucking idea what to get them.”

She laughed. “Fine, fine… I will help you because you helped me. Tell me about them.” She began to lead him out of the decoration aisle, he wouldn’t find anything worthwhile in that aisle. “Oh! I didn’t ask your name, my apologies!”

The man wasn’t offended though, he just chuckled. “Haymitch. Now, no need to make it complicated, just point me to the first thing a teenager might like and I’ll get it.”

She didn’t, in fact, let him do that. She insisted he told her all about the two girls he had found himself celebrating Christmas with that year. She settled on some pyjamas and things to help them feel settled in.

He was much nicer than he first appeared, she quickly learned. He had been very tight-lipped about the situation but it was obvious he had taken in the children because they were in need of help. And he seemed very protective of them, which was sweet.

Later, when they were in the line beside one another, he asked her outright for her number.

“Just so I can thank you, if the girls like them,” he said.

She flushed, feeling the weight of the people in line on her. “So you can _thank_ me, sure…”

The amused grin on his face caused her stomach to flutter. How ridiculous was that? “It’d be rude not to, princess.”

“Somehow, I don’t think you’re the type to care about manners,” she replied. It was hard to keep a straight face for some reason, she had to bite her lip to keep it in check.

Worse, his gaze watched her do it…

He lay it thicker, fluttering his lashes with an innocent look. “Only for you.”

It was so silly, she should’ve refused.

Yet she left that store with a bag full of gifts _and_ a phone number.

**2: I’m sitting at Starbucks sipping on my peppermint hot chocolate, and Last Christmas is playing, so I’m singing along, you are the barista and you’ve just assumed that someone broke up with me last Christmas, oh God.**

Haymitch hated to admit it, but Peeta had been right. The hot chocolate from the new cafe that had opened next to his library was excellent.

He’d been complaining about the shop's ridiculous pink and mint branding ruining the vibe Peeta had helped him make since it opened. The pastel and happy cafe was almost an exact opposite to his little library. Even down to the curvy chairs placed outside - _seriously_ , he had never seen chairs like it. All wavy and bent pink and green. With frilly tables and matching white placemats…

Aesthetics hadn’t been a priority in his past but the moment he’d - accidentally - adopted the boy, who had insisted people liked pretty places these days. For all Haymitch’s grumbling about the nagging, Peeta had been right. He’d even seen people come into his little book shop just to take photos.

Not to mention, the fact that this stupid shop had been bad for the boy's small coffee section inside his shop had set him with a bad impression on day one.

Haymitch had expected Peeta to get upset, or at the very least stressed about having competition so close. But instead, the boy had formed a close relationship with the lady who owned the shop. A lot of the time, she ordered some cakes from him to sell for special holidays. She had even offered him a _job_.

He wasn’t supposed to know about that last one - Peeta should know better than to trust his girl with anything because she always told Haymitch eventually. Still, Katniss had meant well when she spilt the beans.

Stealing _his_ boy from under his nose? Haymitch had every reason to hate this hot chocolate. But the chocolate craving had been around since last night and Peeta wouldn’t be in until the weekend and he had been curious to see what the fuss was about.

Inside, the decoration was just as insane. That was without mentioning the Christmas trees and tinsel. He hadn’t even known you could buy mint mini trees. Let alone so many…

It had been fairly quiet. Thursdays were not a popular day for the street. A lot of people were at work and the lunchtime rush had long died down. There had been a man at the cash register when he had come in, but he had long disappeared by now.

He wanted to hate it so badly, but it was good. He had enjoyed every moment of the drink so far. The chocolate was rich and the mini pink and mint coloured marshmallows were ridiculously adorable...

Haymitch didn’t realise he had started humming along to the song on the radio until it was too late to stop. He was too in his head trying to figure out whether the boy would take the offer. If he did, Haymitch couldn’t blame him.

The shop made a little bit of money but it barely sustained itself. He hadn’t intended it to make a profit, no, the aim had always been to provide a library service for less fortunate kids. He had only really worked on the profitable section in the last year after Katniss and Prim…

“Tough holiday?”

He startled, badly. Eyes barely registering the lady in a pale pink apron in front of him.

She giggled, which sounded so girlish he had to check her age… “Nobody sings _Wham!_ like that unless they’ve been seriously hurt.”

She was definitely not a girl. The _woman_ in question had long blonde hair tucked away into a neat low bun and kind blue eyes.

Her words, however, were anything but kind. They were too close to home.

“Yeah?” He snapped. It caught her off guard, he knew that. But he hadn’t even been aware he was singing let alone in the mood to be reminded of what happened to his family and girlfriend…

She didn’t know, he reminded himself. It took a few calming breaths to clear his mind. He wasn’t usually so easily rattled.

“Sorry,” he said eventually.

She smiled but it was a little strained. “Recent?”

The way she said it was far too familiar.

He shook his head. “Two decades at least, yours?”

“Recent enough.” She looked sheepish, and quickly covered it up. “Refill?”

He held out his cup silently. Watching with amusement as she bustled away on silly high heels. He tried not to ogle her but the pink apron gave way to a pale pink dress that looked really silky to touch…

His hands itched and then he frowned. What was in that hot chocolate? He wasn’t usually so unrestrained.

Then again, there weren’t many pretty women around here that were available to look at.

He shook his head, silently vowing never to come back here. Whatever ridiculous shit was in their drinks must be addictive. That must be how she was getting all the folk in this small town to sit in her obnoxious shop.

“So, you are the Haymitch I have been hearing so much about.” The woman returned, drink in hand and a cake on a plate. “It’s on the house,” she said when she saw him staring. “I want your opinion on it.”

“If it’s by _my boy_ , it’s good, no need to try.” He tried very hard to sound neutral but it sounded harsh to even his ears.

The waitress caught it too. “Now now, Haymitch. I am not here to insult your boy.”

Just here to _steal him_ , he didn't say.

She put his order down and invited herself to sit opposite him. He hated her for assuming she was welcome.

“He is worried about you, you know,” she said, very knowingly. She laced her hands together and rested her head between them, peering up at him.

Fuck, and she didn’t even look smug about it. Just kind. And her blue eyes were all pleading.

“I don’t like people prying in my business.” In his family, he didn’t say. The warning was there though, unspoken.

She laughed a little nervously. “I am not here to pry. But I am offering your boy the world on a plate and he is too loyal.”

He finally broke their eyes to glance at the muffin. He took a big bite before he continued, relishing in the slight wince she gave at his mouth being full. “What, exactly, are you offering him?”

She talked a good talk. Effie Trinket was very convincing, he learned quickly. And by the time he realised it was a good opportunity, she’d already had him eating out of the palm of her hand.

He fucking hated her, he decided, glaring at the box of hot chocolate packets she had shoved into his hand with a friendly smile. Worse, he had been happy about getting the sachets to make them at home. He had been craving them since he had left the building.

**5: We are fighting over the last Christmas tree in the store and I’m not leaving without it, I’d rather kill you and go to jail but WITH the tree!**

“You can bat your eyelashes all you like, sweetheart,” the man clinging to her precious tree warned. “The only way you’re getting this is from my cold dead hands.”

“Do not tempt me,” she huffed. She abandoned the flirty act to glare. And _glare_.

The stupid man just laughed. Laughed. Like he was amused by this. “If looks could kill, I’d be more worried, tiny.”

She had never hated somebody as much as she had hated that man at that moment. The sight of his big hands crushing the delicate branches… His grey eyes twinkling with amusement...

Looks might not kill, but she certainly could. So with a brief thought about how unladylike she was about to be, Effie launched herself forward at the man.

He stepped back instinctively, arms letting go of the tree with minimal damage to the branches in order to protect himself…

“Ah-ha!” She didn’t waste time celebrating, she grabbed the tree as best as she could and tugged it towards her.

The man was fast, though. And soon they became locked in a tug of war.

“If you scratch me with those claws one more time...” The man snapped.

She only tugged harder, aimed for a swipe at his arm…

He let go with such force she almost fell over. “You _fucking_ bitch!”

Effie grinned, pulling the tree more carefully now towards her.

“Excuse me, miss.” A man in a store uniform stopped her. “We’ve had reports of a brawl, if you could put the tree down…”

“Absolutely not!” She hissed, it had a hysterical edge to it. “That man has been trying to _steal_ my tree from me!”

He rolled his eyes. “It was my tree, I was there first.”

“No,” she countered. “I had just gone to look for somebody to help me take it to my car when he picked it up like a neanderthal!”

The clerk looked between them with an irritated sigh. “Have you paid for it?”

She loosened her grip to turn to the man, to beg if she had to… “No, I was busy looking for someone to help me with it. You have to give it to me, I have a Christmas party tomorrow and no tree!”

“Yeah? Well, my kids are gonna spend their holiday’s treeless so give it to _me_ ,” the thief insisted, lifting his arm as if to wrap a hand around the trunk again…

“No!” She shouted, not caring if she was making a scene. “This is _my_ tree.”

“You have not paid for it,” the employee reminded her… “Therefore-”

She didn’t even care about how rude it was to interrupt the poor man. She was _that_ desperate. “Give me a card machine, I can pay right now.”

“That’s not very fair,” the other man complained. “I can pay right now too!”

He reached out again and she shuffled backwards, almost knocking over the shelf of baubles…

“That’s enough!” An older woman chided, suddenly appearing with a determined march from the aisle behind her. Effie noted the manager pin with a big gulp. “Neither of you can behave like adults, so neither of you are getting the tree.”

“But…” She and the thief chorused at the same time.

The lady's eyes settled on her, warning clear. “Miss, please put the tree down now. Or I will call the police.”

Effie hesitated. She seriously hesitated. Greenery wasn’t worth jail time for but she _did_ consider it…

Then she regretfully let the tree back onto its feet and let it go.

“Now… Get out of my store. _Both_ of you.”

“That was your fault,” the thief informed her the moment they were out the front of the store. _Escorted_ out, no less. Definitely one of the most mortifying moments of her life.

She rolled her eyes. “It was not. I am in a tree emergency, how could you be so selfish?”

“Selfish?” he repeated, obviously flabbergasted. “You caused all this over a party! Now I have to try the Seven Tree Farm and hope they’ve got something decent left…”

She had been mid-step towards the car park when he said that… He didn't wait for her to register the words, he crossed the road in long strides that she had to jog to catch up...

“There is another farm?” She hadn’t known there was. “What are the directions?”

The man scoffed. “Like I’m telling you.”

“Oh, nevermind. I can google it. Seven Tree Farm did you say?” She stopped next to her car to pull out her phone.

“There was no fucking way you were planning to bring a tree home in that.” He nodded at her little purple car.

She'd give him a point if he hadn't insulted her baby. “It is the only car I have.”

Did he just expect her to find another car to bring the tree home in?

“Well, it’s too fucking tiny.” There was a clear moment of hesitation before he sighed. “I have a truck that could probably fit two trees in it if you’re desperate.”

“Desperate?” She laughed “I was willing to murder for that ridiculous tree!”

The man shrugged as if he hadn't been fighting her for it too. “Alright then, but I get first dibs.”

“Only if there are other pretty trees available,” she amended. Otherwise, he would have to fight her again.

He shrugged again and turned towards what she could only assume was his parking space… “Name’s Haymitch by the way.”

“Well, it would’ve been nice to meet you, Haymitch in better circumstances,” she commented. “My name is Effie.”

“Come on then, _Effie_. Time to get our perfect trees…”

**14: I joined a band of carolers to get closer to you, but I can’t sing and I’m terrible at memorizing lyrics, oh God.**

“How many _la’s_ are there again?” Haymitch frowned, looking at the lyrics sheet again but only finding the words to blend together.

“Eight,” Effie replied with a secret smile he knew she thought he couldn’t see. It eased some of his frustration just a little bit. She looked far too adorable in her cream bobble hat and big red coat…

That’s how he knew he was too far gone. _Fuck_ , as if freezing his balls off in the snow every night wasn’t proof enough.

“And my part in _We Three Kings_ is…”

She let one of those giggles that always made his stomach flutter a little, so fucking _ridiculous_ for a grown adult but _so_ endearing…

“Myrrh, Haymitch. We went over this last week.” She didn’t seem offended though. If anything, she seemed to find it amusing.

He steadied himself, finally taking the opportunity to ask what had on his mind… “Well-”

Her eyes darted behind him. “Peeta’s calling us back, I think we’re back to business.”

Effie shot him an apologetic look, leaving him standing next to the stupid minibus with drinks in to join the women’s group. He didn’t linger, it would be too obvious to everybody else if he watched her leave.

Not that he could worry about that with the kids.

“Still no luck on getting that date?” Finnick taunted. “And you said Katniss was slow…”

He rolled his eyes. “Fuck off.”

Haymitch wasn’t entirely happy with the children’s obvious nose in his business, but could he really blame them? He had tried to keep his out of their love lives and failed miserably. It was only fair the disturbance be returned.

But this was the first time in years he had made an effort with a woman. Hell, maybe the first time since his girl passed. It wasn’t that he was ready to settle down but he finally felt like he had grieved. Somewhere alongside helping the kids, he found the peace he had been searching for.

Although, Effie Trinket was the opposite of peace. All loud and bright and… Happy. She was a technicolour whirlwind he had stumbled into the middle of and didn't have the common sense to get out.

And she could sing. Albeit, she wasn't anything special, but when she forgot about performing she always had a soft smile on her face and a spark in her eyes that Haymitch was addicted to.

When she had complained that there were no carol choir takers, he hadn't been able to stand the disappointment in her those blue things. She had been trying so hard to fit in and he knew the Seam was a close-knit community.

So he had volunteered. Roped the kids in too. And convinced Hazel to give it a try. Everybody he had met, he had tried to get involved. Some of them hadn't stuck it out but a large group had and the choir had been a hit so far.

He hadn't ever been much of a singer, but he wasn't aware just _how_ tone-deaf he was. Or how awful he was remembering lyrics. Or cues.

In short, he was not cut out for this choir life.

Not that he could quit now that he knew Effie Trinket smiled like that when she thought nobody was watching her. Or the girlish smiles she gave him when he asked a dumb question - he didn't do it on purpose but he had stopped being mad at himself when he spotted her amusement…

“Good job!” She beamed when they met back at the minibus. “You finally have _Deck the halls_ down, I think!”

Behind him, he heard Peeta murmur. “Only took two weeks for him to do it.”

“Hey!” Effie said the same amused grin he had been cherishing for months still plastered on her face. “And I think you can get _The Holly and the Ivy_ down before Christmas Eve!”

She looked so bright and alive when she smiled at him like that…

“Yeah, about that,” he said quickly, seizing the chance. “I've been thinking I need extra practice. With you, I mean. If you want to. At my place. Or yours, if that's better for you…”

Behind him, he heard the boy laugh.

Her secret smile was out now in full force. “I would love that.”

Haymitch barely heard the calls to do the next set of houses. He felt like he was floating on air for the rest of the night.

And if, he made more mistakes than he had previously it didn't matter. After all, he could work on them in practice.

**Author's Note:**

> Would it _really_ be an update from me if I didn't include one of these stories? I feel like these are the worst to read but they are always fun to write so my apologies if it's boring! I have a longer one-shot for tomorrow so hopefully it'll make up for it :)  
> So! Tell me your favourite one! I think mine is that ridiculous Christmas tree one xD so much crack. Also, can we talk about how cute Haymitch has been this week? He is so nice to me recently, maybe it's all the blue balls from pony-verse lmao.


End file.
